Carl Cox (left) poses with his award, presented to him on Nov. 14 by Jeffrey Lesser, his former mentor.
Deptford High jazz instructor Carl Cox has been named an outstanding educator for 2025 by the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education.
Cox – also the school’s jazz ensemble director – received the award at a conference in North Brunswick on Nov. 14. The association promotes and advances jazz education in schools. When selecting a recipient, it looks for an educator who demonstrates “the highest standards of teaching excellence,” according to the association website, and who is dedicated to the jazz education community.
“I was surprised I came up in their conversation,” Cox acknowledged. “I try to introduce the different styles of jazz, get the students more comfortable with everything and apply it to their performance. If they don’t listen to the greats and understand where it came from, they won’t get it. I would say that is one of my biggest contributions.”
Besides jazz, Cox teaches woodwind and piano. A 20-year veteran of the high school, he is also an alumnus from the class of 1996 and was named its teacher of the year in 2019. His jazz ensemble direction helped the school earn five Berklee National Jazz Festival championships and win the last four consecutive New Jersey Division 3 state championships.
On top of his work as an educator, Cox has released jazz albums and singles and toured internationally as a professional saxophonist. His music can be heard on SiriusXM radio and he has worked with artists such as Smokey Robinson, Maysa, Incognito and Geral Veasley.
Cox was presented with his outstanding educator award by association board member Jeffrey Lesser, who mentored Cox when he was a student teacher.
“He was the band director at Willingboro High School when I was placed with him in 2001,” Cox recalled of Lesser. “It came full circle, and it was a special moment.”
